argolotte got up and went to the door.

"Ask like a good cat, then," she said.

"Mee-ee-ow-w-w! There; does that suit your royal highness?" asked the
voice, in scornful accents.

"Yes; that's proper cat talk," declared the woman, and opened the door.

At once a cat entered, came to the center of the room and stopped short
at the sight of strangers. Ojo and Unc Nunkie both stared at it with
wide open eyes, for surely no such curious creature had ever existed
before--even in the Land of Oz.

Chapter Four

The Glass Cat

The cat was made of glass, so clear and transparent that you could see
through it as easily as through a window. In the top of its head,
however, was a mass of delicate pink balls which looked like jewels,
and it had a heart made of a blood-red ruby. The eyes were two large
emeralds, but aside from these colors all the rest of the animal was
clear glass, and it had a spun-glass tail that was really beautiful.

"Well, Doc Pipt, do you mean to introduce us, or not?" demanded the
cat, in a tone of annoyance. "Seems to me you are forgetting your
manners."

"Excuse me," returned the Magician. "This is Unc Nunkie, the descendant
of the former kings of the Munchkins, before this country became a part
of the Land of Oz."

"He needs a haircut," observed the cat, washing its face.

"True," replied Unc, with a low chuckle of amusement.

"But he has lived alone in the heart of the forest for many years," the
Magician explained; "and, although that is a barbarous country, there
are no barbers there."

"Who is the dwarf?" asked the cat.

"That is not a dwarf, but a boy," answered the Magician. "You have
never seen a boy before. He is now small because he is young. With more
years he will grow big and become as tall as Unc Nunkie."

"Oh. Is that magic?" the glass animal inquired.

"Yes; but it is Nature's magic, which is more wonderful than any art
known to man. For instance, my magic made you, and made you live; and
it was a poor job because you are useless and a bother to me; but I
can't make you grow. You will always be the same size--and the same
saucy, inconsiderate Glass Cat, with pink brains and a hard ruby heart."

"No one can regret more than I the fact that you made me," asserted the
cat, crouching upon the floor and slowly swaying its spun-glass tail
from side to side. "Your world is a very uninteresting place. I've
wandered through your gardens and in the forest until I'm tired of